Club 80-90 Forums

snowythebudgie wrote: I'm guessing by that that she is driving when the oil light comes on, which I presume doesn't happen when its 1/8 inch from the bottom mark?

IMPORTANT NOTE = The oil light has nothing to do with the amount of oil in the engine !! (unless it gets so low the pump starts sucking air !!)

It measures the oils pressure, not it's level.

If the oil light ever comes on it means you have a BIG problem (or sometimes on our vans a simple fault with the electrics).

Red Westie wrote:Things like this certainly don't get better...they always progressively get worse.
The other issue here is MOT's.....with that amount of oil being used (we are assuming most is being burned) high emmisions could be a real problem on the MOT test.
Martin

Cheers, it just had a recent MOT, so I'm speaking to the garage today because perhaps they will be able to tell me whether the emmisions were fine at the recent test.

ghost123uk wrote:

snowythebudgie wrote: I'm guessing by that that she is driving when the oil light comes on, which I presume doesn't happen when its 1/8 inch from the bottom mark?

IMPORTANT NOTE = The oil light has nothing to do with the amount of oil in the engine !! (unless it gets so low the pump starts sucking air !!)

It measures the oils pressure, not it's level.

If the oil light ever comes on it means you have a BIG problem (or sometimes on our vans a simple fault with the electrics).

Cheers, I hadne't realised that either. That makes me even more suspicious then because she definitely told me that to top it up hot just wait 10 minutes and take the cap off. If the light isn't going on in the dashboard to indicate it needs topping up then why is she ever having to top it up hot? How would she know it needed it, unless the engine started telling her which can't be a good sign! You can't be doing many drives greater than 8hrs so I'm thinking perhaps this means it needing toping more frequently that that?!

snowythebudgie wrote:That makes me even more suspicious then because she definitely told me that to top it up hot just wait 10 minutes and take the cap off. If the light isn't going on in the dashboard to indicate it needs topping up then why is she ever having to top it up hot? How would she know it needed it, unless the engine started telling her which can't be a good sign! You can't be doing many drives greater than 8hrs so I'm thinking perhaps this means it needing toping more frequently that that?!

You sure she isn't talking about the WATER ?

That red warning LED IS for the level and one should wait 10 mins before taking the cap off a hot engine (to avoid getting scolded by a gush of very hot water)

ghost123uk wrote:

snowythebudgie wrote:That makes me even more suspicious then because she definitely told me that to top it up hot just wait 10 minutes and take the cap off. If the light isn't going on in the dashboard to indicate it needs topping up then why is she ever having to top it up hot? How would she know it needed it, unless the engine started telling her which can't be a good sign! You can't be doing many drives greater than 8hrs so I'm thinking perhaps this means it needing toping more frequently that that?!

You sure she isn't talking about the WATER ?

That red warning LED IS for the level and one should wait 10 mins before taking the cap off a hot engine (to avoid getting scolded by a gush of very hot water)

No, definitely oil. I'll wait and see what the garage that did the MOT say and I'm going to get it checked by them before I buy anyway. I'm working on the principle that a compression test should tell us the state of the engine and whether it needs fixing. If it does then the owner has agreed to take the cost of that of the agreed price. If that doesn't show any faults (and they're going to take a quick look the check over than for any major things) then I'm going to buy. Do you think that covers most potential problems or do you think there is anything else that I should make sure the garage check over? Cheers

Rozzo wrote:what no-one has bothered to mention is that if you fill a vw flat four to the top mark it will burn oil until its about 1/8 inch above the bottom mark,, then hardly burn any at all afer that. if the current owner keeps topping it right up it will keep going back down again. from what i've been told by many long term owners this is fairly normal and it's exactly what mine does if i fill it to the top mark so i don't bother now

Mine sits at the top mark and dose not burn any oil even on a long drive from London to Glasgow

How did you get on Snowythebudgie ?

(we have a Budgie called Gladys)